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Lure Review

 


The Next L.O.U.S. : 6th Sense's Cloud 9 Magnum Squarebill

 

Date: 7/1/19
Tackle Type: Lure
Manufacturer: 6th Sense
Reviewer: Cal






Total Score: 7.83 - GOOD

Introduction:
A side effect of spending considerable amounts of time chucking big baits is once you switch back to "normal" fishing, all the baits look and feel so small. Small baits are great for numbers, but once you become accustomed to fish sized from about three pounds and up, those non-scorable bass really begin to feel like a waste of time and effort. One way to combat that frustration is by seeking out lures of unusual size (L.O.U.S.) which is how that theme originated. On my search for the next L.O.U.S., I purchased the subject of today's review. While not quite the stature of an unusually sized lure, 6th Sense's Cloud 9 Magnum Squarebill, is a good choice when you're tired of going small.

 

6th Sense Cloud 9 Magnum Squarebill Crankbait Specifications

Type Squarebill Crank
Length 4"
Weight 1.5oz
Depth 6-11ft
Material Plastic
Colors 6 Colors
Hooks 2x 1/0 brand not specified
MSRP $9.99

 


In my search for the next L.O.U.S., I discovered 6th Sense's Cloud 9 Magnum Squarebill

 

Impressions: 6th Sense's Cloud 9 squarebill crankbait measures four inches in length and weighs one and a half ounces. It is certainly larger than your standard squarebill crank, but still smaller than something like Lucky Craft's SKT series magnum plugs. The Cloud 9 is available in six different colors and is offered in both silent and rattling variations.


The Cloud 9 (top) is about half an inch smaller than Lucky Craft's SKT Magnum Squarebill (bottom) - one of our original L.O.U.S. baits

Real World Tests: I've had the Cloud 9 for over a year and have fished it on a variety of setups most recently of which was a Lew's combo of a Custom Speed Stick Mag Cranking stick matched with a Custom Pro Speed Spool SLP reel. I spooled the Custom Pro with 14lb Sunline FC Crank.


It is a very clean looking bait

Castability: Baits of this size and weight don't really need moving balancers to maximize casting distance. They make up for all of that with their inherent mass. The Cloud 9 is a very easy bait to launch making it a really good choice for a bait with a larger than normal profile that you want to use to cover a lot of water quickly. You can really bomb this lure.


I often inspect the bills of my crankbaits to see if the manufacturers pay attention to unsightly air bubbles. Bubbles don't affect performance, but they do speak to quality control. The Cloud 9's bill has perfect clarity, and a nice subtle branding element

Dive Time: Click your reel over to begin cranking and it feels like Cloud 9 goes to work right away. I say "feels like" because it casts so far, I can't see what it's doing when I begin my retrieve! For a better look, I've tossed the bait out to the side of the boat to view its action and dive behavior and am really surprised each time I fish the bait, at how far down it goes. I just have it programmed in my mind that a square bill crank goes about 4-5 feet deep, but the Cloud 9 is rated to eleven and easily goes down further than I can see.

The Cloud 9 is rated to 11 feet diving depth

As it swims, the Cloud 9 exhibits a nice, wide wobble that you can feel through the line. I value this feel in my cranks because it helps me to determine what's going on at the end of the line. When that wobbling stops, you either have a fish, or the bait is caught up in the weeds. A little pressure on your rod tip helps you quickly determine between the two and when it's a fish, those stock hooks on the Cloud 9 do a very good job of hooking up and keeping you buttoned.


That weight ball beneath the eye and in front of the gill in the bait's chin moves from side to side in the rattling version. It is held in place in the silent

Speaking of which, when you do hook up with a fish using a bait like the Cloud 9, do your best to keep the fish from jumping. With the size and weight of this lure comes the increased chance the fish can toss the bait when it jumps if you didn't get a good hook set. This is true of any similarly sized and weighted bait.


The only real downside to this bait is its limited color selection

Design/Ergonomics: The color selection for 6th Sense's Cloud 9 crank is somewhat limited, but the bait is available in two versions - silent and rattling. That rattle is more of a single ball knocker really and moves from side to side within the bait's head cavity. There's a channel right about where the bait's chin would be below the eye and in front of the gills. The stock hooks are unspecified, but as I mentioned earlier, perform very well.


The Cloud 9 Magnum Squarebill retails for $9.99 per bait

Price & Application: The Cloud 9 Magnum Squarebill retails for $9.99 per bait. On the mid to high side for a standard crankbait, but quite economical for an L.O.U.S. Keep in mind, as I fail to do, that this bait runs deeper than a standard squarebill which means you can easily dredge up the bottom and bounce off all kinds of obstructions in up to ten feet of water.

Ratings:

6th Sense Cloud 9 Magnum Squarebill Crankbait Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality Plastic has good clarity with no residual bubbles in the diving bill 8.5
Performance Casts extremely well and swims with good action you can feel through the line 8.5
Price Considering the bait's size, pretty good 7.5
Features Silent or not, effective, but unbranded hooks 7.5
Design (Ergonomics) Limited color selection 7
Application Good search tool for active fish that are a little larger than average 8

Total Score

7.83

Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation here

 

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus

Minus

+ Bait is good size to help cull out smaller fish automatically

- Limited color selection

+ Really good action in the water

 

+ Super easy to cast

 


Looking to automatically cull out smaller fish? Try throwing a bigger crank like 6th Sense's Cloud 9 Magnum Squarebill!

Conclusion: 6th Sense's Cloud 9 Magnum Squarebill kind of walks the line between a standard sized crank and one we would typically classify as an L.O.U.S.. Nevertheless, it does have the benefits of a larger sized lure in that it will help cull out the smaller fish when you're in search of a quality bite. Of course, there are always those crazy, smaller fish, that will attack anything so that's why I said "help" and not eliminate. What I really like about this bait is how far you can cast it and how much feel it provides as you're cranking it back to your position. It does a good job of bouncing off obstructions, but of course, not so great when you encounter grass. If you're looking for a larger than normal crank to upgrade the size of your catch, 6th Sense's Cloud 9 is a good place to start.

 

Looking for 6th Sense Cloud 9 Magnum Squarebill Crankbaits?

Try TackleWarehouse


 

   

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